Not so toothy grin

One year on from the introduction of the government’s new dental contracts the charity Citizens Advice has published a report that suggests that two million people (one in three with dental problems) cannot find a dentist. The anniversary is also marked by the British Dental Association (BDA), which has stated that government reforms aimed at improving dental services, particularly preventative treatment have failed to deliver.

This has got me thinking about how good NHS dental services are in Sutton. My personal experience is mixed. I have been with the same dentist for more than 15 years and have always had excellent treatment. But when my youngest son, who is seven, was born I had a struggle to find an NHS dentist for him. Then when his dentist decided to retire recently it wasn’t easy to find a replacement NHS dentist.

What is your experience of NHS dentistry in Sutton? You can let me know by leaving a comment here or by sending an email to me at colin.hall@sutton.gov.uk . Please put ‘Dentist’ in the subject field of your email. I will publish the findings here.

Findings of BDA Survey:

• 85% of dentists surveyed believe patient access to NHS dentistry has not improved
  
• 97% of dentists think that the ‘fill and drill’ treadmill has not changed
  
• 93% of dentists think that new system has failed in its aim to encourage a more preventative approach to treatment
• 95% of dentists were less confident about the future of NHS dentistry than they were two years ago.

If you are trying to find a dentist in Sutton take a look at the British Dental Association website. You just need to enter your post code: http://www.bda-findadentist.org.uk/